Had my eyes dialated today, and after 46 years of diabetes, he said I had a tiny tiny dot in my right eye, I think he said aneurysm. He gave me a report to give to endo and it states diabetic retinopathy right eye. He stated nothing needs to be done, and not to worry and it could even go away. He said pretty good after 46 years, isn't that like saying an A1C of 7 is pretty good because your a diabetic. I asked if I should come back sooner than 1 year he said nope, and he truly sounded not worried, but.............I AM WORRIED.

Yikes! I'm worried for you! I didn't like the first eye doc I saw up here and just went to LensCrafters (who did the whole retina exam thing...) but am always nervous about that stuff!! I'm glad he sounds laid back about it but I totally understand and will worry along with you for a while!!

I have a tiny spot in my eye which was discovered a couple of years ago. My ophthalmologist said not to worry over this as she sees this type of spot in folks as young as 17. I am far older than that. A diabetic with a tiny spot is not a big deal, but we keep an eye on it (no pun intended). It has not changed in two years...and I have no problem with my sight other than being near sighted. Please don't worry, Karen.

I am seeing my opthalmologist on Monday and your post makes me nervous. In the 37 years I have been going to the eye guy he has always said he saw no diabetic changes. He also told me a few years ago that if he hadn't seen anything after 35 years he most likely would never see anything. But apparently a tiny, tiny, dot is exactly what he said it is. Not something to stress over so I guess if it were me I would just be happy it was not a big big dot ? Also doctors are notorious for covering their asses. If they see even the tiniest of changes and don't report them then they can be held liable.

Thanks for the information, made me feel better. I have been going to this MD for a long time and I have total confidence in him. I go to endo next month and he gave me a report to share with him, and I definitely will ask about a second opinion. I have worried about complications like this for 46 years

6 years ago I went to the eye doctor and had the same thing happen to me. Retinopathy in one eye. We were worried for a little while and I really focused on getting my blood sugar in tight control. Next time I went to the eye doctor it had completely disappeared. My eyes have been completely clear ever since, despite ups and downs with blood sugar control. So it definitely can go away!

I won't tell you not to worry...but worry productively! See what you can do to get even tighter control of your bloodsugar and see if it's still there in 6 months to a year.

You should be seeing a Doctor with modern equipment that scans and takes digital images inside of your eye. He should show you the results and compare the images each time you go to see him. I have a small spot in one eye, it has been there for the 6 years he has been taking photos of it, no change so it appears to be a old scar, no worry. The photos will bring comfort and they are easy to understand.

Don't worry. I have had "spots" for several years now without progression. This is not to say that you should not be mindful to keep your sugars at bay and to pay attention to your kidneys (you might be spilling some protein) they tend to happen at the same time. I have been a T1 diabetic for 54yrs. I check my eyes on a yearly basis. Since I have been diabetic for so long, I expected that some of the secondary conditions due to diabetes would show up. One year, I had three spots (small) and, I found that I was spilling protein in the urine also. My doctor placed me on an ACE inhibitor to protect the kidneys. Six months later, my kidneys were fine and I only had one spot. That has been the case for 12yrs.

Don't worry, it doesn't serve you and it hadds to the stress. However, be proactive--make sure that you check your eyes at least once a year.

Karen. If your dr is not a retinal specialist with great experience in diabetic retinopathy, please find one who will determine if your spot is benign or if it is proliferative retinopathy. I am not trying to alarm you, but there are excellent preventative measures like photo pan coagulation that can effectively arrest progression. I had the procedure at the age of 21 and I am now 51 with no recurrence and relatively good vision. Please do not dismiss it as just a spot until you have had a good specialist do the appropriate tests and analysis.

There are many people here who have spoken of micro aneurysms that either remain stable or completely disappear. Ask the endo if he thinks anything else need more be done. Many years ago I had a specialist tell me that they were "no more important than freckles". Stay informed, but don't waste your days consumed with fear.

Diabetic retinopathy is not exactly something to be dismissed as "nothing to worry about", but it's also doesn't mean that you will be going blind either.

You want to see a specialist who can do a conplete retinal examination that includes, at the very least, an angiogram to see the extent of your retinopathy. Even the most skilled opthamologist will not get a complete picture of your retinopathy simply by dilating your pupils and scoping your eye.

Statistically, if you have retinopathy with your present level of BG control, it won't simply go away, but that doesn't mean your present level of BG control dooms you to a slow progression towards macular degeneration and eventual blindness either. Like anything else with diabetes, retinopathy has to be managed through BG control.

My opthamologist is very aggressive and likes to see me every 3 to six months as long as retinopathy is detected. My first diagnosis was 3 years ago after 25 years of diabetes. I tightened my control significantly after my initial diagnosis and, as typical with retinopathy, I actually saw my retinopathy progress substantially from one eye to both eyes, followed by bleeding aneurysms, and finally macular edema in one eye. This occured rapidly for the first year after diagnosis. Since then, progress has slowed, then stopped, followed by some regression with fewer aneurysms and bleeds.

Over that time, my A1cs have dropped from 9s to 6s to consistent mid 5s over the last two years. I'm hoping I've reached an equilibrium where I don't expect to be completely rid of retinopathy, but I certainly hope it doesn't continue to progress. My opthamologists is agressive with examinations, cautious with treatements (I haven't had any laser surgery or injections), and optimistic about my outlook so I continue to follow his advice.

I had my annual eye check-up today and was once again relieved to have no problems. I view these annual appointments like mammograms. I always go in feeling fine with no problems and am terrified that I might leave with an unexpected life-changing diagnosis. But once again I'm in the clear. My opthalmologist actually mentioned every 2 years for appointments and I said "no way". And he was fine with that.

I hear you about the "life-changing diagnosis!" The last time I went to the eye doc, he did the exam and said "well, your eyes are shot" and I was like "WHAT!!!![TF internalized...]" and he said "yup, you'll need reading glasses..." which was a relief. Although, once I used them for a couple of weeks, I feel like the "vision software" in my brain was utterly destroyed.